I had to replace my previous phone because my banking app dropped support for that Android version, and was going to stop working. The hardware was fine.
(I always buy phones in the cheapest tier, so that happens sooner)
Would it be cheaper in the long run to buy a newer phone less often? Get a "this year flagship" and use it for 5 years rather than a couple year old model and use it for 2-3?
Those cheap phones are made out of garbage and are chock-full of bloatware and spyware. This also applies to Samsung flagships so I guess more expensive doesn't always mean better.
Not necessarily. I bought a 150 EUR Xiaomi for my son 1,5 years ago. The software is pretty okay, the thing is plenty fast, the screen looks good and battery life is great! The camera is not so great, but hey..
That's just plain bullshit? I just checked my local second hand marketplace, and 2 year old flagship models seem to go for about 35-50% of the current equivalent newest model price.
(I always buy phones in the cheapest tier, so that happens sooner)